Toy racing boat



March 16, 1943. s J SLOTSKY ET AL 2,314,057

TOY RACING BOAT Filed April "I, 1941 INVENTOR s WXEQRNE? Patented Mar. -16, 1943 TOY RACING BOAT Sam J. Slotsky, Sioux City, and August F. Piingsten, Rock Rapids, Iowa Application April '1, 1941, Serial No. 387,208

3 Claims.

Our invention pertains to a toy boat.

An object of our invention is to provide a boat which is propelled by compressed air and which is of very light construction.

A further object of our invention, in one form thereof, is to provide a base structure of wood, with a very thin attached Celluloid or other structure positioned at an angle thereto to simulate a racing boat, and to also include an inflatable rubber member therein.

A further object of our invention is to provide an air expelling tube which can be angularly positioned to provide a rudder or turning attachment for the boat.

A further object of our invention, in a modified form, is to provide an all rubber boat or a boat which is completely made of rubber, including an inflatable hull and an inner inflatable bag for providing the propelling means.

A further object of our invention is to provide in such rubber structure a completely pre-formed rubber arrangement which also includes rudder features.

A further object of our invention it to provide the foregoing structure in greatly simplified forms.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of our device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken substantially longitudinally in elevation of one form of the boat,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a rear view of the boat,

Figure 4 is a detail of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a modified form of the boat,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 7,

Figure 'I is a plan view of the modified form,

and

Figure 8 is a detail of Figure 5.

Our invention contemplates the provision of extremely light toy boats, with the incorporation of small light expansible rubber bags therein which can be blown up by a child, etc., then al- .lowing the air to release so that when the boat is placed in the water, it will be propelled along the same to simulate an actual motor boat.

In one form of the invention we have used the character III to designate a block of wood of limited width and length to which is attached at H mentioned herein that the members I2, l4, l5, and I! are made of extremely light material such as Celluloid preferably, this material requiring practically no strength at all beyond the strength required to maintain its shape, since practically no pressure will be applied against it, as will be explained.

Positioned inside of the hull of the boat, which hull is to be formed by the members I2, l4, I5, and i 'l, is the small thin rubber sack l8, which, as shown in Fig. 1, is expanded to its full position in the solid structure and is in its collapsed position in the dotted structure. The sack i8 is attached at l9 to the angularly inclined tube 20 which tube terminates in the expanded nozzle 2|, and receiving the tube 20 is the eye screw 22 (see detail, Fig. 4) which is screwed firmly into the wooden block l0 at 23. The block I!) also includes an inclined sloping portion 24 which is cut therefrom. The lengthened transverse opening 25 receives the tube 20.

It will now be seen from Fig. 1 that as the boat floats on the surface of the water, due to the extreme lightness of the material as well as the rubber sack, it will maintain the angular position substantially as shown, since the weight of the wooden block I0 wil1 over-balance the rest of the structure. In use, the sack I8 is blown up through the tube 20 until it occupies the fully expanded position, and the further forward opening 25 is provided in the top IE to indicate when the end 26 of the sack approaches the completely filled position. After inflating with air, the boat is then placed in the water and the air pressure is allowed to bubble through the rear nozzle 2|, which will cause the boat to travel forwardly due to the rear pressure exerted against the water. In this position the boat simulates an actual racing boat with the forward portion extending upwardly, and the sound of the escaping bubbles also simulates a motor to a certain extent, and it should also be particularly noted that the provision of the hull outside and above the water eliminates a large amount of water resistance which would othermade very large, since its main function is to keep the light hull out of the water and for attaching the rudder structure thereto, and the block l can be made considerably narrower than the width of the boat itself, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. By turning the eye screw 22 to various positions, the tube 2| can also be swung to any of the dotted positions as shown in Fig. 2, thereby providing a rudder so that the boat will travel in an arc. The arrangement then provides a relativelylarge capacity for the air, since the toy rubber sack can be inflated to a large volume and the pressures thereby maintained for a relatively long period of time, with the proper effeet and movement resulting therefrom.

Figures 5 to 8 illustrate a modification of our invention in which the boat is made entirely of rubber, the hull being indicated generally by the character 26, which hull is made of fairly thin rubber and which hull includes the top wall 21, the bottom wall 28, the side walls 29, and the rear wall 30. The hull 26, which is shaped to approximate a racing boat but which is also curved sufllciently to allow the pressure therein to flll the boat properly, is fllled by means of the valved opening at 3| which communicates with the hull. Inside of the hull is located the small inflatable rubber sack 32 which sack is attached at 33 (see Fig. 8) to the tube 34, which tube 34 is securely sealed in air-tight relation at 35 with the portion 36, which portion 36 is an integral continuation of the hull of the boat.

The tube 34 passes through an opening 31 in the rear wall 30 and terminates in the flared portion 38, and moulded in the bottom wall 28 of the hull are the upwardly extending lugs 38. The lugs 39 provide means for maintaining the tube 34 in any selected position, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the rudder efiect is obtained, to provide turning of the boat in an arc.

Figure 5 illustrates the inflatable sack 32 in both its deflated and inflated positions, and it will be speciflcally noted that in use,'the boat can be in its deflated position when sold, and when used, first the outer hull 26 is blown up through the use of the valve 3i, with just suflicient pressure to give it its shape. The boat is then ready for use, and the inner rubber sack 32 is filled by means of the opening in the tube 34 and the sack 32 is inflated to capacity, or until the hull begins to bulge slightly or to a fairly substantial amount, and the arrangement is then placed in the water, wherein the air pressure through the nozzle 38 will propel the boat along the water surface.

It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the slight amount of air in the hull can be pocketed at the forward end 01'- the boat, and it will further be noted that since the tube 34 is securely sealed at 35, the air cannot escape from the hull and the boat can be used repeatedly. This structure then provides a complete all rubber boat which cannot be injured, since it is pliable and soft, and which will travel in a manner simulating an actual motor boat.

It will now be seen that we have provided all of the features mentioned in the objects of our invention with further advantages being readily apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of our invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified form of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim as our invention: 7

1. A toy boat comprising a buoyant base member, an inflatable rubber sack attached thereto, a thin hull framework surrounding said sack and attached to said buoyant member, said hull framework adapted to normally cover said inflatable sack at maximum inflation thereof, a tube communicating with said sack attached to said base adapted to extend rearwardly beyond said base for providing propulsion means during deflation of said rubber sack by air escaping therefrom.

2. A toy boat comprising a buoyant base member, an inflatable rubber sack attached thereto,

a thin hull framework surrounding said sack and attached to said buoyant member, said hull framework adapted to normally cover said inflatable sack at maximum inflation thereof, a tube communicating with said sack attached to said base adapted to extend rearwardly beyond said base for providing propulsion means during deflation of said rubber sack by air escaping therefrom, said tube being pivoted to said base to provide a rudder effect to said boat.

3. A toy boat comprising a buoyant base member, an inflatable rubber sack attached thereto, a thin hull framework surrounding said sack and attached to said buoyant member, said hull framework adapted to normally cover said inflatable sack at maximum inflation thereof, a tube communicating with said sack attached to said base adapted to extend rearwardly beyond said base for providing propulsion means during deflation of said rubber sack by air escaping therefrom, said tube being pivoted to said base to provide a rudder effect to said boat, notched means for holding said tube in any selected position.

SAM J. SLOTSKY. AUGUST F. PFINGSTEN. 

